Full Council met on 3 September 2026 to decide whether to approve the borough’s draft Regulation 19 Local Plan for publication and subsequent submission to the Planning Inspectorate, with water supply remaining a key unresolved concern.

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council considered whether to approve its draft Regulation 19 Local Plan for publication and submission to the Planning Inspectorate for independent examination when it met on 3 September 2026. The plan, which covers the period 2024 to 2042, sets out how the borough intends to meet a housing requirement of 19,746 dwellings — a figure derived from the Government’s revised standard method.

What the plan proposes

Officers recommended that Full Council approve the Local Plan, Policies Map, Sustainability Appraisal, Habitats Regulations Assessment and associated evidence base documents for publication under Regulation 19. If approved, the plan and all representations received during consultation would be submitted to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government by December 2026, with independent examination expected in early 2027 and final adoption targeted for mid to late 2027.

The plan’s stated vision is to deliver “sustainable, infrastructure-led growth” directing development to the most sustainable locations, making use of previously developed land where possible while acknowledging that some greenfield development will be required. It also seeks to protect the borough’s Green Belt, natural environment and heritage assets.

Water supply concerns

The papers devoted significant attention to the ability of South East Water to provide sufficient water infrastructure to support planned growth. Officers noted that South East Water’s own position statement concludes there is “a credible pathway” to achieving the necessary water supplies, but acknowledged that “further technical work, regulatory approvals and investment decisions will be required.”

A joint letter from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, dated 6 August 2026, acknowledged regulatory action being taken against South East Water by Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Environment Agency. The letter confirmed that Government considers there to be a pathway to water supply provision to support the Local Plan, but stated it “cannot provide absolute assurance regarding future delivery.”

The Leader of the Council had written to the minister responsible for local plans on 16 January and 11 February 2026, highlighting water supply as one of the significant challenges facing the borough and raising concerns about community confidence in the plan’s deliverability.

Consultation history

The plan has been through two rounds of public consultation. The first, in autumn 2022, generated more than 4,000 representations. A second consultation, held between 10 November 2025 and 2 January 2026, received 6,456 contributions from 2,206 respondents. Officers said responses from both rounds had informed the refinement of the plan and its evidence base.

The council had not published the minutes of the meeting at the time of writing, so the committee’s decision is not yet on the public record.

Sources

Top image: illustrative, computer-generated. Illustrative AI-generated image. This is not a photograph of any real location in Tonbridge and Malling.